System and method for providing accuracy in airdrop missions

Abstract

System and method for aiding the accuracy of airdrop missions by performing localized weather data collection in a column of air and then subsequently storing, decimating and forwarding the data to a remote location. A first aircraft flies to the geographic location of the desired airdrop, deploys an atmospheric conditions sensing dropsonde, collects the data from the dropsonde, stores that data, then transmits that data or a decimated subset of that data either once or any number of consecutive times, to a second aircraft located at a predetermined distance from the first aircraft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing accurate airdrop missions, comprising
 a cargo aircraft;
 said cargo aircraft further comprising
 a first radio frequency transceiver and a first computer having a computer software program therein; 
 
   a dropsonde aircraft;
 said dropsonde aircraft further comprising
 a plurality of dropsondes; and 
 a dropsonde pod having a second radio frequency transceiver  
 and a second computer having a computer program therein; 
 
   wherein said dropsondes each further comprise
 a means for deriving atmospheric condition and geolocation data; and 
 a radio frequency transmitter; and 
   wherein each of said dropsondes communicates said atmospheric condition and geolocation data to said dropsonde pod; and   said dropsonde pod communicates said atmospheric condition and geolocation data to said cargo aircraft radio frequency transceiver.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said dropsonde aircraft is a remotely piloted aircraft. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said second computer, when instructed by said computer program, decimates said data atmospheric and geolocation data received from said dropsonde prior to communicating said data to said cargo aircraft. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the degree to which said data is decimated, is variable. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said first computer, when instructed by said computer program
 analyzes said received data for completeness, validity, and usefulness; and   computes an updated cargo release point based on said received data.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said cargo aircraft adjusts speed and heading based on said updated cargo release point. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein when said first computer determines that said received data is either not complete, not valid, or not useful said dropsonde pod retransmits said data upon request. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said first computer will ignore redundant data received during said retransmission and process only data not previously received. 
     
     
         9 . A method for conducting accurate airdrop missions, comprising the steps of positioning a first aircraft, capable of dispensing at least one dropsonde, over an airdrop site;
 dispensing said dropsonde over said airdrop site;   communicating atmospheric and geolocation data from said dropsonde to said first aircraft;   processing said data in said first aircraft;   relaying said processed data from said first aircraft to a second aircraft; and   adjusting the speed and heading of said second aircraft, based on said processed data, so as to accurately deliver cargo to said airdrop site.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said step of processing said data further comprises the step of decimating said data to a variable degree. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said first aircraft is remotely piloted. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said step of decimating said data to a variable degree further comprises the step of taking the average of a predetermined number of data readings and combining them into a single reading.